Mass. cultural grants will enhance local theatre, design and film industries

The Massachusetts Cultural Council released more than $1.3 million in new creative economy grants Wednesday.

The Adams grants, which are one- and two-year grants, will go to three key industries in that sector. Those include film, design and cultural tourism. Most of the grants will go toward cultural tourism projects, which include Expanding Boston's Theatre Distict -- a program to provide one-stop shopping and information access to Boston's Theatre District and shows. Other grants will invest in Design Industry, a project led by the Massachusetts College of Art to fully realize the economic potential of the design cluster in the Commonwealth and create a unified sector, much like the biotech community.

Grants will also go toward Refocusing the Lens, a project of the Center for Independent Documentary that seeks to build professional skills, training, and workforce development for the film industry in Massachusetts for both entry-level workers and independent filmmakers. Film is just one of several key industries for which Massachusetts ranks among the leading states in the nation in the size of its workforce, according to new data from the New England Foundation for the Arts.

"These new grants will help keep this engine of our economy moving," said Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray of Plymouth, in a statement. "Film, design, and cultural tourism are three key creative industries that the state can and should help foster through smart investments."

MCC's mission is to build a central place for arts and culture in the everyday lives of communities across the Commonwealth. The MCC's Adams Arts Program for the Creative Economy recognizes the pivotal role that arts and culture plays in driving the Massachusetts economy.

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